CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said it’s too early in training camp to assess his team’s progress, but the fine tuning already has begun in earnest.
And that includes Saturday’s 7 p.m. preseason test against the San Jose Earthquakes at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. It’s simply another step the Galaxy is taking toward their CONCACAF Champions League two-leg quarterfinal series against Mexico’s Santos Laguna which begins Feb. 24 at StubHub Center.
“Yeah, I think we need to be doing that for sure,” Galaxy goalkeeper Dan Kennedy said of the club’s preparations for those contests later this month. “Two weeks is no time at all. It will be here before you know it.
“You prepare every day as if it’s an important day. Usually preseasons are a long stretch, but certainly with the Champions League it’s made this one a bit easier.”
The Galaxy are 1-0-1 in preseason friendlies, with a 2-1 victory over FC Shirak and last Saturday’s 0-0 tie with Club Tijuana to their credit. San Jose is 1-2 in the preseason, having lost to New England 2-0 and Houston 1-0 in Tucson and defeating South Korean side Seongnam FC 1-0 in Arizona.
Saturday’s game will mark just the second time the long-time rivals have met outside California. The other occasion was the 2001 MLS Cup Final in Columbus, Ohio, which the Earthquakes won 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Dwayne De Rosario.
“This is just another game to take our team forward,” Arena said of Saturday’s match. “That’s obviously the goal of all of these preseason games. It will be good competition away from home and give us a chance to travel for a day or two and get used to that routine.
“It’s another step along the way to try and get us ready for the CCL game. Right now the challenge and objective is to get minutes out of our players.”
Arena, asked to name three surprises in camp, signaled out midfielder Emmanuel Boateng, forward Ariel Lassiter and goalkeeper Clement Diop. Boateng joined the club during the offseason from Sweden and Lassiter and Diop were brought up from Galaxy II.
“They’re young players that have demonstrated day in and day out they can hang in with the group,” Arena said. “They have good attitudes. They’re just better every day.”
Kennedy said he has been pleased with the improved play of a revamped back line that not only includes himself but center back Jelle Van Damme and left back Ashley Cole. He’ll also likely see another new face in front of him in midfielder Nigel de Jong, who participated in his first training session Thursday and likely will see some playing time this weekend.
“To be honest, it hasn’t been too bad,” Kennedy said of seeing how the new players on defense have meshed. “We have an experienced enough group that most guys have adapted most of their careers with personnel and what-not.
“Certainly we’ll get better with time. But I felt really, really comfortable in the two games we’ve had here at StubHub Center.”
